HUGE CATERPILLAR

Taranaki Daily News, 20 February 1935, Page 13

HUGE CATERPILLAR

three inches in LEGTH. LARVA OF CONVOLVULUS MOTH. A finely marked caterpillar, measuring three inches in length, found by Mrs. Hutton in her garden at Bell Block, was identified by Mr. W. W. Smith, the wellknown naturalist as the larva of sphinx convolvuli or convolvulus moth. The moth was accidentally introduced to New Zealand from America some time ago and had not often been seen around New Plymouth until recently. When full grown, the larvae are between 3i and four inches in length and are bautifully marked with a yellowish lateral band and greyish spots on a background of black. A peculiar feature is a large curved horn On the tail end. The body of the moth is marked with circles of scarlet and blue, the massive wings, which sometimes measure six inches from tip to tip, being striped With blue, grey and black. ConvOlvulous and kumera leaves are its favourite food. This was the second one Mr. Smith had seen this week, the other being about 2i inches in length, while one of the green variety, one Of the best he had seen, was shown to him last week. The unusually warm weather this year seems to ha»ze been responsible for the propagation of a number of comparatively rare insects, large numbers of which have been brought to various authorities for identification. Considerable difficulty has often been experienced in identifying them.